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Lunar Herald
Lunar Heralds produce different colors depending on the phases of Valkemare's moons. See this table for more information. Lunar Heralds were released on August 29, 2015, with their release of all variations spanning across a month. This is the first dragon to have variations dependent on Valkemare's moons, Aurax and Cirion. Each Lunar Herald color will only appear in-cave or through breeding on certain moon phase combinations. Official Dragon Descriptions Egg "This metallic egg shows faint iridescence in moonlight." Hatchling "Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. When it basks in moonlight, it is surrounded by a faintly glowing aura." Mature Hatchling "Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. When it basks in moonlight, it is surrounded by a faintly glowing aura. And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing." Adult "Lunar Heralds are deeply attuned to the two moons of Valkemare, Aurax and Cirion. Strictly nocturnal, they draw energy from moonlight and will only hunt when the moons have waned. When breeding, the amount of moonlight the parents receive from each moon will determine the color of the egg produced. When a Lunar Herald is struck by direct moonlight, an illusion of multiple wings may appear. Witnessing a Lunar Herald’s illusory wings is commonly believed to be a sign of good fortune." Sprite Artist(s) *LadyLyzar (All) Sprites Sprites No Longer In-Use Show/Hide Table Egg Sequence Corresponding Moon Phases The following table demonstrates what moon phases correspond to which color. The colors will appear in-cave (CB) and during breeding (regardless of the color the parents are). DC's official moon clock can be found here. A forecast calendar has been constructed by a fan to help users plan their breeding ideas better, and can be found here. Encyclopedia Entry powder covering the wings flakes off easily when touched *No defensive weapons of any kind—relies on speed to escape threats *The brightness of the wing illusion depends on the angle and brightness of Valkemare’s moons. *The wing illusion does not change based on which moon is brighter in the sky. |hatchling = *Strictly nocturnal, most hatchlings emerge at night *Bask in the moonlight every night to obtain energy; additional food is required if they cannot moonbathe *Inquisitive and curious, but only from a distance *Only vocalize if injured or frightened *Wings are nearly translucent at first; iridescent coloring does not appear until the hatchling sheds its skin *Only seek physical affection if things are quiet and they can trust others *Direct sunlight is harmful *Typically choose other calm hatchlings as playmates |adult = *Seek isolated high places to moonbathe each night (if conditions are right). *Purely solitary and wary of other dragons except those of their own kind. *Rely on speed and awareness to survive—will only fight if cornered or protecting their young. *Will hunt small animals if the moons are dim or obscured, rarely scavenge as the predator is likely still nearby. *Entirely nocturnal and will never go out during the daytime—direct sunlight burns their skin. *Adults greet one another by displaying their wings and touching their forepaws together *Migratory males seek out females displaying their illusory wings, she will often accept him if he displays his illusory wings in return *Wild males are sometimes killed protecting their mate and young |habitat = *Only found in areas with easy to clear skies; avoid dense vegetation and areas with lots of clouds. *Only found in forested regions if they are migrating *Females dig a den for their eggs; may have to migrate to find a good spot *Most migrating dragons are males; females will not lay their eggs in forested regions and are rarely seen in such places *Desert Lunars may sleep the day away at the bottom of a shaded pool of water with only their nostrils above water *Wild Lunar Heralds often help clutching females find a safe place to raise her young |diet = *Mostly subsist off solar radiation reflected off Valkemare’s moons *Ingest various sources of minerals *If forced to hunt, they will only take small prey *Can go for a week without drinking water *Can obtain water from the prey that they catch *Will not overeat as excess bulk makes them slower and more at risk from predators }} Trivia *The description of the Lunar heralds was updated a few hours after TJ's dragons grew up. The original description was: "Lunar Heralds are deeply attuned to the two moons of Valkemare, Aurax and Cirion. Strictly nocturnal, they draw energy from moonlight and will only hunt when the moons have waned. When breeding, the amount of moonlight the parents receive from each moon will determine the color of the egg produced." *After 2 of the 4 colors were released, TJ09 realized that the incorrect moon phases were being displayed on the website. This has since been corrected, and a phase tracking post was given to show the correct moon phases up until that point. *LadyLyzar responded to a user on the forums who mentioned that Lunar Heralds would have made great Prize dragons, suggesting that the species were originally designated to be Prize dragons themselves before revealing that this was the intention later on.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8923291 She also later revealed that they were created around the same time as the Shimmer-scale Dragons.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8923515 *LadyLyzar clarified to users that the name "Indigos" for the blue variant is not an official name and that she never really had official names for them. When they were being made as prize dragons though, she did refer to them as "Gold Lunar, Silver Lunar, Bronze Lunar, and Alt Lunar" dragons.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8931619 *This dragon only has 2 wings (or 1 pair)- the other wings are illusory.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8923343 It was further elaborated on that it is not achieved via an illusion of motion, as per the updated adult description.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8923595 *LadyLyzar commented that the Lunar Heralds' colors happen to have "worked out nicely for the moon phases" of Valkemare's moons, rather than the dragon's or the moon's colors made to suit one or the other. https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8936132 *While the description hosts the term "metallic", they are not to be considered as part of the same metals or metallics group as Gold or Silver Dragons. Their description is meant to specify that their scales are metallic, a concept that remained with the dragon when it was originally intended to be a prize.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8928896 *During the release, speculation was raised as to what elemental affinity these dragons would have. While it was not yet added to the site officially, LadyLyzar would have put the Lunar Heralds' elemental affinity as Light.https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=170560&view=findpost&p=8932596 Additional Information 1st, Silver 2nd, Bronze 3rd. The blue color was meant to be my alt. They were called Prismatic Heralds at the time and were linked to the sun instead. The moon phases came after Shimmers were chosen for the new Prize breed. The "good fortune" bit is also a reference to their Prize origin - the original description said that owning a wild-caught one was considered to be the epitome of good luck. So, without further ado: *~ All About Lunar Heralds ~* Despite their appearance, Lunar Heralds only have two wings, and they are very delicate and thin. The wings are covered in fine iridescent dust similar in composition to the powder of a butterfly's wing. The dust is actually comprised of shed skin from the dragon's wing membranes. It easily brushes off when touched and is believed to contain magical properties. The dust is replenished the next time the dragon sheds its skin. When the wings are oriented correctly to the angles of the moons, the iridescent powder gleams like a rainbow. During this time, an illusion of multiple wings may occasionally appear. Depending on the brightness of the moonlight, this illusion can be quite vibrant. Lunar Heralds are not overly large dragons. Their body size is comparable to that of an average horse, not including their wings, neck, and tail. They are very delicate creatures and quite lightweight for their size. This combination makes them quite fast both in the air and on the ground should they need to escape a threat. With the exception of mating season, Lunar Heralds are purely solitary creatures. They do not feel safe in the company of other dragons, since they lack any real defenses against attack. Hence when encountering another dragon, they will usually hide themselves away. If the dragon is another Herald, they will greet each other by touching their front feet together and then go their separate ways. Every night when the moons are visible, a Lunar Herald will seek an open area to "moonbathe". This is incredibly important for them as they draw energy from solar radiation reflected off Valkemare's moons. Direct solar radiation from the daytime sun is too strong for them and can be lethal if they are subject to long periods of exposure. Lunar Heralds breed at all times of the month, and the intensity of the moonlight from Valkemare's moons determines the color of the egg produced. This color will remain with the dragon throughout its life. Despite their differences in appearance, Lunar Heralds are accepting of all within their species - they are all the same, after all. When the moons have waned or there is an extended period of heavy cloud cover, Lunar Heralds are forced to hunt instead of moonbathing. However, this can be dangerous for them due to their frailty, so they normally feed on smaller creatures like mice and rabbits.|LadyLyzar|(Forum Post)}} References Category:Dragon Types Category:Uncommon Dragons Category:Western Dragons Category:LadyLyzar Category:Alpine Category:Desert Category:Volcano Category:2015-08-29 August 2015 release Category:Light Element Dragons Category:Time Element Dragons Category:Encyclopedia Entry Category:Creation aligned dragons Category:Primary Affinity: Light Category:Change aligned dragons